Tasting - Childress Winery Muscadine Sweet White Wine

Name: Childress Winery Muscadine Sweet White Wine

Variety: 85% Carlos, 15% Triumph

Region: North Carolina
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $7

Winery Review: Traditional southern Muscadine grapes create this sweet white wine packed with berry aromas and jam accents. It's flavorful with a homemade taste that proves to be fruity, refreshing and fun.

My Review: The nose is very fruity and very grapey. It also has slightly tropical notes and a bit of lemon. The taste is similar with more tropical fruit notes such as pineapple and some melon. It is very sweet and silky smooth. It has a short finish. This is an easy sipper and would make a great summer wine.

Tasting - Old North State Winery Restless Soul

Name: Old North State Winery Restless Soul
Variety: Malbec, Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: North Carolina
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $10

Winery Review: A blend of Malbec, Tannat, and Cabernet Sauvignon in just the right proportions to emphasize the fruity character of perfectly grown Yadkin Valley grapes. This delightfully haunting wine will make a lasting impression!

My Review: This wine is slightly earthy on the nose followed by some fruit notes. I smell rotted wood, moss, licorice and coffee. Some raspberry comes through as well. It is fruity on the front of the palate with chocolate and espresso on the mid-palate. It is rounded out with earthy notes. It has a long finish. This is a solid wine and a good offering for what North Carolina has to offer.

Tasting - Decoy Sonoma County Merlot

Name: Decoy Sonoma County Merlot
Variety: 97% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2016
Price: $20

Winery Review: This lush and inviting Merlot displays layers of black cherry, blueberry, and cassis, underscored by vanilla and cocoa. On the palate, balanced acidity adds poise and elegance, while silky tannins carry the wine to a fruitful and concentrated finish.

My Review: Very fruity and full of red fruit on the nose. I make out raspberry and some cherry mixed with hints of licorice and vanilla. On the palate it is a super cherry bomb. It is slightly hot and the tannins strong which is atypical of Merlot but the back end is a little watery which brings me back home. Some vanilla comes through with raspberry on the mid-palate. It has a long finish. This is an interesting Merlot to be sure.

Tasting - Michael David Winery Petite Petit

Name: Michael David Winery Petite Petit
Variety: 85% Petite Sirah and 15% Petit Verdot

Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2015
Price: $18

Winery Review: Offering a joyous explosion of color and fun, this is a substantial, dense, full-bodied, whopper style of wine loaded with pure black fruit and vanilla flavors that coat the palate. It reveals remarkable richness with a finish that is slightly dry and seems to linger.

My Review: The nose is very fruity with some oak. Red fruit is dominant with black fruit being slightly noticeable. Cherry, blackberry with some blueberry and raspberry are the discernible fruits as well as licorice. Black fruit is quite prominent on the palate with some strong tannins overpowering. Blackberry and black cherry are the fruits that stick out. It is oaky and hot on the long finish. It is seemingly unbalanced but could really benefit from some more breathing.

Tasting - Intrinsic Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Intrinsic Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc

Region: Washington
Country: USA
Year: 2016
Price: $20

Winery Review: The 2016 vintage of INTRINSIC has a wonderful floral nose, complemented by aromas of cherry and leather. The flavors are layered with tones of blueberry jam, pomegranate and chocolate. The texture is rustic, yet silky, with a unique savory and inviting finish.

My Review: Blueberry is the dominant note on the nose which I do not find often. Cherry and some raspberry are also present with a waft of vanilla and licorice. It is very fruity on the palate with more blueberry coming through. Cherry, blackberry and black cherry follow with licorice enveloping all the flavors. It has a long finish with solid tannins. It is silky smooth with some oaky vanilla on the back end. This is a very good wine especially at this price point.

Tasting - 7 Moons Red Blend

Name: 7 Moons Red Blend

Variety: Syrah, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Grenache

Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2017
Price: $10

Winery Review: This red blend begins with loads of ripe, dark fruit aromas that are laced with chocolate and vanilla overtones. The wine tastes smooth, soft and sweet and is filled with tons of jammy, ripe fruit. Those chocolate and vanilla streaks from the nose also continue when tasting and add to the mass appeal and crowd-pleasing properties of the wine. On the finish the tart, jammy, sweet fruit lingers for a good amount of time. This is a great choice for fans of the ever popular mass-market slightly-sweet (and often covered by lots of oak influence) red blend.

My Review: The nose is dominated by red fruit and red berries. Raspberry and red currant are apparent but the star is blueberry. The first taste was very smooth and fruit forward. Currants are followed by a burst of cherry and lots of blueberry on the palate. There is a slight note of oak. It has a long finish and this wine is very good and a solid choice.

Tasting - Noble Vines 181 Merlot

Name: Noble Vines 181 Merlot

Variety: 100% Merlot

Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2016
Price: $10

Winery Review: 181 is classic Merlot, offering softer tannins than Cabernet Sauvignon, but equal elegance and concentration. It opens with aromas of black cherry, vanilla and toasty spice. Fresh fruit flavors of currant and cherry mingle gently with spicy cedar and vanilla. The wine is supple in texture, full bodied, long and well-balanced on the palate, with a lingering finish. With a gentle balance of tannins and acidity, it is the perfect companion to pasta with sausage and roasted peppers or a pan seared steak with mushrooms and parsley.

My Review: Licorice is readily apparent on the nose mixed with strawberry and cherry. Some oak is noticeable with more red fruit and raspberry. It is pretty fruity on taste with lots of red fruit specifically cherry and raspberry. It is oaky and has some spice to it. It finishes long and hot. It is nice everyday drinker and unoffensive.

Tasting - Ménage à Trois Midnight

Name: Ménage à Trois Midnight

Variety: 38% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Petite Sirah, 12% Petit Verdot

Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2016
Price: $9

Winery Review: The time has come to explore your deepest, darkest desires with Ménage à Trois Midnight. A gorgeous garnet color in the glass, this luxurious blend wraps you up in a velvety embrace. Voluptuous blackberry and plush spiced plum flavors seduce your palate, while hints of mocha and exotic spice linger on your lips like a stolen kiss. Silky and smooth with a long, powerful finish, you’ll wish Midnight could last forever.

My Review: Raspberry and blackberry were the first fruits I smelled. More red fruit came through on the nose followed by mocha and espresso. More raspberry was present on the taste but cherry was the dominant flavor. There were notes of mocha and black licorice on the end. It had a long finish and was pretty good and mellow. Easy drinker.

Tasting - Apothic Brew

Name: Apothic Brew
Variety: 55% Petite Sirah, 10% Teroldego, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Zinfandel, 19% red grapes

Region: California
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $12

Winery Review: Inspired by a passion for coffee, our winemaker has crafted an infusion like never before. Blended with intrigue, this limited release red blend is infused with cold brew coffee. Apothic Brew contains less caffeine than a standard cup of decaf.

My Review: Strong red fruit notes stir the nose followed by chocolate and mocha. Slightest hint of espresso then licorice. The taste is very bold and complex. I get hit with oak straight away mingled with dark fruit and dark chocolate. It is slightly bitter which must be the coffee coming through although it is subtle. It has a long finish and is fairly enjoyable. I would like to try it slightly chilled to see how the taste evolves. I would get it again.